


Rise Up (And I'll do it a thousand times again)

by trappedinamatchbox



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-05-28 02:20:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15038537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trappedinamatchbox/pseuds/trappedinamatchbox
Summary: "There was a tangible, real way to save him from a very dark path, and she felt like she couldn't just sit back and do nothing. Lucy had already failed one sibling; she'd be damned if she failed the other."





	1. i.

**Author's Note:**

> I had promised myself I wouldn't do a Timeless multichapter fic. I'd sworn to whoever wanted to hear that I didn't have time to commit to something like this, but then the Timeless Writers had to go and post those script pages on Father's Day. And that made me think about how Ethan Cahill was Lucy's only living family member (excluding her horrible biological father), now that Carol was dead and Amy was still gone. I tweeted about that and someone replied, reminding me that Benjamin Cahill actually has a son, who happens to be Lucy's half brother.
> 
> And then I had this idea and it just wouldn't leave me alone until I let the words out. So here we are.

i.

 

Lucy woke up with a start.

The clanking sounds of the new bunker were still so unfamiliar that she found it hard to sleep through them. It had been only a couple of days since Denise had secured them a new facility and they had all moved in under the cover of a moonless night.

Running a hand through the tangle of her hair, she looked around, eyes scanning her new room. It was sparse, just like the other bunker, with only a cot and a small dresser. At least she had the room to herself this time. After their successful trip to save Rufus and moving to their new hiding place, they had all been glad to find that this place had more rooms than their previous bunker, which meant that they could all have their own space.

Never had she been so relieved to have some privacy. It had only been four days since their future counterparts had left, and Lucy still couldn't wrap her head around everything that had happened in the past couple of weeks. It all felt too surreal, too traumatic to even begin to process.

She still couldn't quite believe that Rufus was here with them. Alive. It still took her breath away every time she looked at him. She had seen his lifeless body. She had grieved for him.

She was _still_ grieving for him. Even though he was back, alive and well, she didn't know how to turn that grief off. She couldn't forget everything they had been through. The unfiltered rage she'd felt when she ran after Emma, determined to pump her full of so many holes for every little thing she had done to ruin her life. The blind hatred when she pressed the barrel of the gun to the redhead’s forehead.

Those brief few minutes played in a loop in her head and she couldn't turn it off, as much as she tried. It was still so fresh, the wounds still gaping open in her soul.

Looking at her phone, she realized it was still early, but decided to get up and get some coffee, anyway. Sleep seemed to elude her these days and she knew she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep now.

Pulling her robe on, she put on her slippers and made her way out of her room. The bunker was still quiet, with the exception of the random clanking sounds that had woken her up. She could hear someone working on the punching bag in the gym room a few doors down from her, and figured it was Wyatt. He was having just as much trouble sleeping as she was, and she often heard him wandering the halls in the middle of the night, or taking out his frustration and grief on that punching bag.

They hadn't talked about his untimely love declaration since all hell had broken loose a few days before. If she was being honest with herself, Lucy didn't know how to respond or even how to feel. Just a few weeks ago, those four little words would have been a dream come true. But now, after everything they'd been through, it felt like someone was squeezing her heart very tight. Every time she tried to think about it, the pressure in her chest returned, so she filed it away for the time being.

Maybe one day she would be ready to process, but her poor heart couldn't handle the stress right now. She needed to glue herself back together first. Then, maybe, she could try and figure out her mess of a love life.

Arriving at the kitchen, she was surprised to see the coffee maker already on and a fresh pot of coffee waiting for her. She wondered if Wyatt had been the one to do it, since he was already up, but when she made it to their common room, Lucy was surprised to find Jiya sitting in front of the computers.

“Hey,” she called out, her voice still sounding sleepy and raspy to her own ears. Jiya jumped a foot in the air and turned around, hand on her chest. “Sorry, didn't mean to scare you.” She smiled, apologetic, and took a sip of her coffee.

“Jesus, you just shaved ten years off my life, Lucy.” The techie grinned at her and nodded to the empty chair next to her.

“What are you doing up so early?” Lucy asked curiously, sitting down next to Jiya. “Did something happen?”

“I just couldn't sleep. Didn't want to bother Rufus. He still feels weird about dying and not remembering.” She trailed off, but shook her head after a beat, smiling sheepishly at Lucy. “So I needed to do something productive to keep myself from going crazy.”

“Yeah? What are you working on?” She prodded gently, taking another sip of her coffee before leaning back on her chair. She knew Jiya was having a hard time adjusting to life in the bunker after living in the nineteenth century for three years.

“I've set up facial recognition alerts for Emma and Jessica.” She said with a shrug. “They haven't jumped in a few days, but that doesn't mean that they're not active here in the present, right?” She explained, looking at Lucy to confirm that she was following. “And I want to catch those bitches so bad, Lucy. They need to pay for _everything_ they've done.” The last part was said in a harsh, angry whisper and Lucy reached out, squeezing her friend's hand in comfort.

“Did you find anything?”

“Jessica has been out a couple of times in the past two days. It looks like she's either following someone or scouting a place.” Jiya pressed a few keys and an image popped up on the screen. “See? She's been going to this place. I've seen her trying to talk to a kid.”

Lucy's eyes widened when she recognized the house.

“Wait. That's…”

“Yup. That's Benjamin Cahill's house.” Jiya confirmed her suspicions and Lucy had to take a deep breath, her heart beating wildly in her chest. “And the kid? That's his son, Tyler Cahill. 15 years old.”

“He's…” Lucy swallowed, running a hand through her hair. “He's my brother. He's a _kid_.” She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to process this. “How long have you known about this?”

“I’ve seen Jessica around the house these past couple of days. But I only saw this footage of her talking to Tyler a few minutes ago. That was last night.” Jiya pointed at the screen, enhancing the frozen image. The kid even kind of _looked_ like her. “My best guess is that she's maybe trying to recruit him?”

Lucy stood up, feeling suddenly even more restless than before, as she started to pace.

This was a kid. A 15-year-old _boy._ It didn't matter that Benjamin Cahill was his father and she thought he was a terrible human being. This kid, Tyler, he was still her little brother. Still just a child. Maybe there was time to save him. Maybe there was still time to stop him from becoming a Rittenhouse monster.

“We can't let that happen, Jiya. We can't.” She let out a breath. “ _I_ can't. I wouldn't be able to live with myself.”

 

~*~

 

Wyatt threw one last punch to the bag, feeling his arms burning with exertion. He had been at this for over an hour and the sweat rolling down his back and the dull ache in his arms told him it was probably time to stop. 

Grabbing a towel, he quickly dried his face and neck and took a sip of water from the bottle he had left by the door. He was thinking that maybe it'd be a good idea to start breakfast for everyone when he heard her voice.

“We can't let that happen, Jiya. We can't. _I can't_.” The distress in her tone made him close the distance between them in record time.

“Hey, what's going on?” He asked, steadying Lucy when she abruptly turned around at the sound of his voice. “Lucy? What's wrong?”

He watched as Lucy and Jiya exchanged a look and how the techie waited until Lucy nodded.

“We found some troubling info on what Jessica has been up to.” Jiya started slowly, looking at him with sympathetic eyes and Wyatt felt his stomach sink.

God, he couldn't even fully process that his ex-no-longer-dead wife was a full on Rittenhouse psychopath and she was already out there creating even more shit? He shook his head and took a deep breath.

“What'd she do?” He asked warily and looked from the techie to Lucy, who averted her eyes. He sighed. She could barely look him in the eyes these days. “Jiya.”

“She's seeking out Benjamin Cahill's son, apparently.” She explained, clicking on something and making a photo pop up on the screen. “He's a kid. Barely 15.”

Wyatt looked at the screen, feeling his anger burn in his chest. He couldn't believe he had let himself be so manipulated by her. But then the name Jiya mentioned finally clicked in his brain.

“Wait, Cahill as in…”

“My biological father, yes.” Lucy completed for him and met his eyes for the first time. She looked conflicted, but her eyes reflected such a deep sadness, that all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and never let her go. “And that's my little brother. Who is just a kid.” She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair agitated. “We can't let them get to him.”

“Lucy…” he started, but she shook her head again. “I know that you feel a responsibility to him, but who's to say he isn't Rittenhouse already? You saw what they did to Jess. They started her off young.”

It killed him that they had done this to Jessica. _Killed_ him. That they’d done it _because_ of him. They'd gone back in time and plucked her from her family for the sole purpose of messing with him and turn her into the perfect Rittenhouse agent. Someone he would never question. Someone he had loved more than life itself and had tried for so long to bring back.

They were cruel. He understood where Lucy was coming from, but they couldn't risk it. Not after the Jessica fiasco. He would never, _ever_ forgive himself for the domino chain of events he had set in motion the moment he’d received that text and run out of the bunker to go find her. He regretted his actions from that day so deeply in his soul and wished more than anything they could just hit the rewind button, so he could ignore that text and just live his life with Lucy. That was all he wanted for the past few months. Forget this madness and just be with his historian.

“I can't not try, Wyatt.” Lucy retorted and he closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. “Look at him. He’s just a boy. He doesn’t deserve to get caught up in this.”

“Look, we don't even know if this is what really happened, okay?” Jiya intervened. “How about we talk this out with Agent Christopher when she gets here and see what she says?”

Wyatt was so grateful for Jiya's sensibleness that he could kiss her. He threw a grateful nod in her direction and smiled when she nodded in understanding. Lucy still looked at the screen stubbornly. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she stared at the photo of her long lost little brother.

“Jiya's right. We should talk to Agent Christopher first.” He told Lucy, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder comfortingly. She didn't shy away like last time, but she didn't allow his hand to linger for too long. “Come on. I'll make us breakfast. What do you feel like eating?”

Lucy offered a small smile that didn't reach her eyes, and shrugged. “Whatever you want to make is fine. I'm not really hungry.”

She mumbled something about taking a shower and left, not even giving Wyatt the time to try and talk to her some more. It felt like she was avoiding him and he couldn't exactly blame her. He was the fool who had dumped his love declaration right after they had watched their best friend die. The idiot who brought his back-from-the-dead wife to the bunker and flaunted her in Lucy’s face. If he didn't know how to act around her, she was probably feeling even more at a loss about this.

It was his own damn fault. But, _God,_ he missed her so much.

 

~*~

 

“Are you out of your goddamn mind? _No_.” Agent Christopher’s voice was categorically firm. “Have we learned nothing with this whole Jessica thing? No, this is not happening.”

“Denise, please. You know I wouldn't even ask something like this if it wasn't important.” Lucy pleaded with her, but the Homeland Security agent wasn't having any of it. “He’s a teenager. Just a kid.”

“I can't authorize this, Lucy. I'm sorry. I really am. But I can't let another Jessica situation happen again. Teenager or not. It's a risk I can't take. And neither can you.” Denise touched her shoulder, giving it a sympathetic squeeze. “You have a target the size of China on your back. I can't risk your safety.”

Lucy sighed and looked at Wyatt. She knew he agreed with Agent Christopher wholeheartedly. That it was way too risky for someone that they didn't even know was Rittenhouse or not. But the crux of the matter was that this boy, Tyler, he was pretty much all the family she had left. She knew Ethan was still alive, but he was nearing 90. Who knew how long he would still be here. Plus, Tyler was just a kid. She couldn't even reconcile the fact that she might be letting this child just be taken away to be brainwashed by Rittenhouse. She had to do something.

“I promise I'll keep an eye on him, Lucy.” Jiya chimed in when she failed to say anything. “If anything fishy happens, I promise you'll be the first to know.” She reassured her, and Lucy nodded, but it still wasn't enough.

There was just this feeling, deep in her gut, that made her feel restless. Like a foreboding that she could feel in her soul. She couldn't even really articulate her thoughts into words, but she knew she had to do something for him.

“Thanks, Jiya.”

She offered the techie a small smile, also thanking Agent Christopher, before making her way to the couch and plopping herself down. Turning the TV on, she sighed, trying to think. If she was being really honest with herself, she didn't even know how to explain this sudden need to keep this boy she didn't even know safe. Maybe it was because she couldn't save Amy -- plus everything that had happened with Rufus -- that made her feel like a failure.

But Tyler? There was a tangible, real way to save him from a very dark path, and she felt like she couldn't just sit back and do nothing. If she could help him, she most definitely would. She had already failed one sibling; she'd be damned if she failed the other.

Putting her feet up on the coffee table in front of her, she started to formulate a plan.

 

~*~

 

Wyatt watched Lucy from afar as he and Agent Christopher went over some files from Nicholas Keynes’ old manifesto. The raid he had done at Rittenhouse Headquarters had actually been very productive once Mason and Jiya had managed to sort through everything, and they had now been trying to pinpoint when and where the remaining sleeper agents had been dropped. Keynes’ manifesto and the recovered files from their HQ presented a wealth of information for their mission.

But he was distracted. He knew the news about Cahill's kid had hit Lucy hard, especially after everything they'd been through these past few weeks. As far as he knew, the kid was the only family she had left, now that Carol was dead. And he understood why she felt like she had to save the boy, but the risk was far too great. And he'd be damned if he’d let anything happen to her again.

A disturbance from the kitchen made him look away from his historian, only to find Rufus cursing up a storm because he’d cut his finger. He chuckled and shook his head, so incredibly happy and relieved that his friend was back and alive and well. He was never letting Rufus or Lucy out of his sight during a mission ever again. Just the thought of losing one of them again made his heart ache and his breath catch in his throat.

_Never again_ , he vowed to himself. He would die before he let anything ever happen to them. He had already lost each of them once. He was sure he wouldn't survive a third time.

Letting his eyes stray back to Lucy, he smiled when he saw her apparently napping in front of the TV. Hopefully her half kid brother would be okay and Jess would leave him the hell alone. He still didn't know how to feel about this whole thing with Jessica, but anger was still the biggest emotion running through him. Even if she was carrying his baby. If that was even true. He just felt like he didn’t know anything anymore.

With a shake of his head, he decided that focusing on these files would be the best way to help everyone. He just wanted this to be over and the sooner, the better.

It was only hours later that Agent Christopher finally called it a day and he realized it was closer to dinnertime than he’d thought, if the rumbling in his stomach was any indication. Stretching his arms above his head, he scanned the TV area, only to find out that Jiya was the one watching it now. Looking around, he didn't see Lucy anywhere and figured she had just gone to her room to get some rest. Now that he thought about it, he had seen her walking past him and in the direction of her room a couple of hours before.

Since it was his turn to cook dinner, he quickly washed his hands and pulled some vegetables out of the fridge to start working on a stir fry. He figured he would get dinner ready and then go get Lucy. She had become so withdrawn these past few days, and he knew she was barely eating, unless someone nudged her in the direction of food.

So he distracted himself for half an hour and, when everything was done, he rounded everyone up from the common room and started in the direction of Lucy's room. Knocking on her door, he waited for her reply. When he was met only with silence, he knocked again, this time calling out her name. But again, she didn't answer the door. Trying the knob, he opened it carefully, thinking she might be sleeping, but he felt his breath catch in his throat when the light from the hallway illuminated her room.

Lucy was nowhere to be found and the air vent was wide open.


	2. ii.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stopping Rittenhouse was way too important and she would fight them until her last breath. Which meant that she most definitely needed to keep her brother away from this mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are fantastic! Thank you so, so much for all your reviews and tweets! I was terrified of posting this story, because I know it's a completely different beat from my usual lyatt fics. But I'm glad you're all on board with this!
> 
> This chapter has not been beta'd, so please forgive any mistakes and typos. And let me know what you think!

**ii.**

 

Sneaking out of the bunker had been easier than she had originally thought. At first, she didn't think she would be able to do it and had almost resigned herself to the fact that, unless she could convince Agent Christopher, she wouldn't be able to get anywhere near Benjamin Cahill's house.

This new bunker had an alarm system just like the old one and they weren't exactly free to go wherever they wanted. Just like in the other one, their way out was the Lifeboat and that was obviously not an option. So she had started to formulate a plan, but stumbled upon the issue of actually getting out of this hell hole. Feeling stumped, she sighed and tried to distract herself. Maybe she was overreacting and there was no need to be this desperate. Maybe he would be okay and this was all in her head.

She was dozing off when Jiya shook her shoulder gently.

“Hey,” her friend sat down next to her and handed her a tablet. “There's something you should see.”

Lucy took the tablet from her and stared at the frozen footage of a security camera. Jessica was at Cahill's house again, apparently knocking on the front door.

“This was about half an hour ago.” Jiya said quietly. “I don't know what she's trying to accomplish, but he's your brother and I thought you should know.” The techie squeezed her hand in support and Lucy let out a breath that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding.

Jiya offered a small sympathetic smile and stood up.

“I don't know what to do, Jiya.” She confessed, and Jiya sat back down, facing her. “I feel like I'm supposed to help him, but my hands are tied.” She rubbed her hand over her face and let out a sigh. “I feel awful for not even remembering he existed until you showed me that footage earlier. How could I have forgotten about this, you know?”

“Hey, you've been through a lot, Lucy.” Jiya reassured her and took her hand again. “You can't blame yourself for not remembering him when you don't even really know him. After everything you've been through since this time travel madness started… I don't even know how you do it.”

Lucy shrugged and offered a wry smile in response.

“It's like Wyatt always says. One problem at a time.” She explained and Jiya chuckled. “Keep me posted on him? I'll try to talk to Denise again. There must be something we can do.”

Jiya reassured her she would and stood up again. Lucy watched her as she made her way to the kitchen, where Rufus seemed to be throwing a sandwich together, and hugged him from behind. She didn't remember Rufus’ death, but she knew what had happened. They all did. Their future selves were adamant that everyone should know, so that something like this would never happen again.

Losing Rufus had been the proverbial nail in her coffin. She had no idea how her future self managed to go through five years without him, because right now it seemed unfathomable. Rufus was the glue that kept them all together. Just the memory of his lifeless body made her heart ache, and she wished more than anything that she could forget. Sometimes she wished she had never gotten mixed up with this time travel thing at all.

Amy would still be here. She would still be a professor at Stanford. Life would be normal.

But then she looked at her team, her family, and she knew she would never be able to do anything differently. This was too important. Stopping Rittenhouse was way too important and she would fight them until her last breath. Which meant that she most definitely needed to keep her brother away from this mess.

With a new resolve, she stood up and made her way to her room. She had an idea. This bunker was very similar to their old one, and the room she was in just happened to have an air vent. What if… what if it led outside, like the one young JFK had escaped through?

Once in her room, she examined the small opening in the wall. It was a tight fit. She was sure she could fit in there, but could she do it? Would her claustrophobia get the best of her?

Lucy watched that hole in the wall for the better part of an hour, trying to decide what to do. In the end, she took a deep breath, grabbed a jacket, her phone and a purse, and crawled inside the vent.

The whole experience was nerve-wracking, but she kept Harry Houdini's words at the the forefront of her mind the entire time. _Fear isn't real_. All she had to do was escape.

The night air hit her like a balm. The sky was littered with bright stars and she took a moment to collect herself. Feeling her heart rate returning to normal, she took out her phone and checked her location, trying to determine which direction she should go. The spring air was chillier than usual and Lucy pulled her jacket in tighter around herself.

Finally figuring out a direction, she started walking. She knew the team would notice she wasn't there sooner or later, but she definitely needed this head start. Checking her phone again, she realized she would have to walk at least a couple of miles to find some sort of civilization. The nearest place was a gas station and she figured she could call for a Lyft or an Uber once she got there.

Lucy knew she would be in a world of trouble when she returned to the bunker later, but this was just something she had to do. She would never forgive herself if something happened to Tyler. Something that maybe she could prevent.

It took her almost an hour to get to the gas station, but she used that time to think about what she could actually do once she saw Tyler. For all intents and purposes, the kid didn't even know she existed, but she wouldn't let that stop her. She would calmly talk to him and his mother and warn them that Jessica and Emma were very dangerous. And that they should probably go into hiding or hire private security.

That was the least she could do. Warn them that Rittenhouse meant them harm and were not to be trusted. It wasn't like she could bring them to the bunker -- she knew Agent Christopher would have her head -- but maybe she could convince Denise to put them in protective custody or something?

Walking into the gas station, she checked her phone again, trying to formulate a game plan. She hoped her credit card was still active, so she could call for a ride into San Francisco. She knew the bunker was roughly an hour away from the city, so she still had a ways to go. Calling for a Lyft, she sighed when the app said the car would be at least thirty minutes.

Not having any other choice but to wait, she got a cup of coffee and sat down at the lonely table at the corner.

 

* * *

 

 

His heart slammed against his ribcage as he ran back to the common room. She couldn't have done it. _She couldn't_. She was claustrophobic; there was no way she would crawl through that tiny air vent. No way. She just had to be here somewhere. Maybe she was in the bathroom or something.

Rufus looked up when he stormed into their common area.

“What the hell, man? You look like you've just seen a ghost.” The pilot asked concerned, but Wyatt shook his head and quickly scanned the area. Jiya and Mason were setting up the table and Flynn was sitting in front of the TV. “Wyatt. Seriously, dude, what happened?”

“Lucy isn't in her room.” He breathed, running his hand through his hair. “Have you seen her?” He asked, but didn't wait for a reply, already making his way to the bathroom. “Lucy!”

He could hear Rufus’ footsteps following him, but his mind was on a one-way track, and that was finding Lucy. He knocked on the bathroom door and called her name again. When there was no reply, he swung the door open but was met only with silence and darkness.

“Hey, what the hell happened? Where is she?” His friend asked and Wyatt turned to him, taking a deep breath. He needed to stay calm. Wherever she'd gone, she couldn't have gone far. “Wyatt, what's going on?” Rufus asked again when he still didn't reply.

“I went to her room to get her up for dinner and she wasn’t there. The air vent was open.” He explained quickly, trying to think. “I know where she went. I need to go after her.”

Wyatt walked past Rufus and made his way to his room, quickly checking his gun and pocketing his wallet. Grabbing a jacket from a hanger, he blew past Rufus again, just as his friend had made it to his door.

“Dude, _wait_. Just breathe for a second. How the hell are you even going to get out of here?” The pilot asked, running to catch up with him. “You sure as hell won't fit into an air vent and I'm pretty sure we're locked in here.”

“Jiya. Agent Christopher set her up with all access codes in case of an emergency.” He said over his shoulder, as he put his jacket on. “Jiya,” he called, walking into the kitchen. “I need to leave. Lucy is missing.

“What the hell do you mean, she's missing?” Jiya exclaimed and then closed her eyes, covering them with her hands. “Oh, damn it.”

“What?” Wyatt touched her arm, making her look at him. “Jiya, what do you know?”

“I didn't think she would actually do something like this.” She sighed and walked over to the computers, punching a few keys to pull up an image. “I told her I'd keep her updated on her brother and I caught some footage of Jessica stalking the house again earlier today.”

Wyatt watched the video of Jessica and some guy at the Cahill's front door. They seemed to be ringing a doorbell pretty insistently.

“Lucy saw this?” He questioned the techie and she nodded. “Goddamn it.” He shook his head and steeled himself for another mission. “I need to go after her. I can't believe she did this.” He mumbled the last part to himself and let out a heavy sigh.

“How are you even getting out of here? We're kind of in the middle of nowhere, remember?” Rufus pointed out and he snorted. “What, it's not like we have a car.”

“Same way she did. I'll walk.” He checked his gun once again and holstered it. “What's the nearest place to this hell hole?” He asked Jiya and she pulled up a map.

“A gas station. This almost feels like a deja vu thing, you know.” Jiya laughed quietly, shaking her head. “There's an old parking lot about a mile after that gas station. Agent Christopher left a car there. For emergencies.” She added when he raised an eyebrow in question. “I'll go get the keys.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Rufus asked, but Wyatt said no. “You might need backup, man. At least take Flynn with you.”

“It's fine. I'll just find her and bring her home.” He shrugged, accepting the keys when Jiya threw them in his direction. “Text me the car info?” he asked her and she nodded.

“You got it. And, Wyatt?” Jiya called out when he started to make his way to the bunker exit. “Bring her home safe, alright?”

He offered her a small smile and a nod.

“Please be careful,” Rufus ran after him and clapped his back when he opened the door. “Don't do anything stupid, man. Just bring Lucy back.”

“I'll keep you guys posted.” He promised and climbed up the stairs and into the night air.

 

* * *

 

Her Lyft was two minutes away when Lucy stepped out of the convenience store. Drinking the rest of her now lukewarm coffee, she threw the cup in the trash and leaned against the wall to wait for the car.

Now that she was about to go, the butterflies in her stomach were rioting. She had to do this, though. She had to at least try to protect him. She couldn't allow Rittenhouse to ruin someone else's life.

Lucy pushed herself off the wall when she saw a car pulling up, and was about to climb in when she heard his voice.

“Lucy!” Wyatt's voice reached her ears and she closed her eyes. Damn it. “God, Lucy,” He reached her and his warm palm on her arm made her turn around to face him instinctively. “What the hell were you thinking? You scared me half to death.”

He pulled her into a hug and Lucy let out a sigh, allowing herself to fall into his arms, if only for a moment. Pretend that the world was right and good and that they weren't this fractured version of a soldier and a historian who were broken beyond repair. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. Right at that moment, especially when he tightened his arms around her, she felt almost okay.

Almost.

“I have to do something, Wyatt. Jessica was there again today. I have to warn them, get them out of there, I don't know. Anything.” Her voice came out hard and fast and she could hear the desperation in her tone. How had she become this broken, desperate person? “He's the only family I have left. I can't let anything happen to him.”

“Ma'am, are you ready?” The driver interrupted, before Wyatt could say anything.

“Yes, just give me a moment.” She smiled at the driver, but Wyatt was having none of it. “Wyatt, you're not stopping me. I'm going.”

“Hey, listen. I'll take you there myself. Here,” he pulled a pair of keys out of his jacket pocket and showed them to her. “Jiya gave me the keys to our emergency get away car. No, I didn't know anything about it either.” He smiled that infuriating half smile she loved so much and she rolled her eyes. “I know this is important to you. I promise I'll take you there.”

“Ma'am, is everything alright? Do you need help?” The driver asked again, looking suspiciously at Wyatt.

Lucy felt him taking her hand and putting the keys in it, before closing her fingers over it. She watched as his fingers closed over hers, his thumb running gently over her skin. Looking up, she met his eyes and saw nothing but honesty and affection in his bottomless blues.

“Yeah, it's fine. I'm going to have to cancel, though. Sorry for making you drive all the way out here.” She smiled sheepishly at the driver, who shrugged and warned her that she would be charged anyway.

She nodded and the driver left. Turning to Wyatt, she realized he still held her hand.

“Now what?”

 

~*~

  



	3. iii.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This was the most they had touched in what felt like months, but right now, she knew they both needed reassurance from each other. She most definitely wasn't ready to rehash anything between them, but this -- their camaraderie, their trust -- this would never change."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you very much for all your reviews and tweets. You guys are the best!
> 
> Thank you to my angel editor Lizzie and my Angst Brigade girls for keeping me motivated, even though our show is still looking for a new home. I still have faith. We're still fighting.

**iii.**

 

They were mostly silent on their way to the car. Lucy handed him the keys when they got to the parking lot and found the unmarked black Sedan Denise had left for them. She trusted he would keep his word and take her to San Francisco to see Tyler. If she had learned anything in this past year, it was how to read Wyatt Logan and -- despite everything -- to trust him.

He looked at her surprised when she tossed the keys in his direction, but quickly snatched them in the air and pressed the button to unlock the car. Lucy took a deep breath and slid into the passenger seat, immediately buckling her seatbelt.

“Ready?” Wyatt asked her quietly, and she nodded. “Can you please text Rufus? Let him know we're on our way to the city?” He asked and she nodded again, feeling a knot in her throat just at the thought of texting her friend.

Just a few days ago, she had seen him get shot and die. Just a few days ago, she had seen her mother die. It felt like she no longer had her heart in her chest after Chinatown. Like these deaths had only left a heart-sized black hole in its place and all she could do was grieve.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, she quickly wiped away a stubborn tear and pulled out her phone. She didn't want to feel like this. She didn't want to cry and grieve anymore, but she didn't know how to stop it, how to turn it off. Every time she looked at Rufus, she felt so incredibly relieved, but at the same time, she felt an insurmountable pain.

She wiped away another tear and quickly tapped out a message to Rufus. Once she was done, she caught Wyatt watching her, a look of deep sadness and understanding in his eyes. He reached out to her and squeezed her hand.

“Okay there?” He asked gently and she nodded, not trusting herself to speak just yet. She didn't even know why she was crying. “Alright, let's go see your brother.”

The drive to San Francisco was quiet, each lost in their own thoughts. Lucy stole glances in his direction from time to time, sometimes meeting his gaze. She knew he thought this was a huge risk, but she was also immensely grateful that he was taking that huge risk with her.

It took them just over an hour until Wyatt was parking the car in front of the Cahill Residence. It was a little after 8, but the house was surprisingly dark and silent as Lucy and Wyatt stepped out of the car. His hand on her arm stopped her before she could make her way to the front door.

“You stay behind me, okay?” His eyes pleaded with her. “We don't know what we're about to find in there.”

She covered his hand with hers and nodded. “I just want to talk to them. That's all.” She reassured him, giving his hand a squeeze. 

This was the most they had touched in what felt like months, but right now, she knew they both needed reassurance from each other. She most definitely wasn't ready to rehash anything between them, but this -- their camaraderie, their trust -- this would never change.

Wyatt led the way to the front door, gun in hand, with Lucy following close behind. She was about to ring the doorbell when he reached out and grabbed her arm, nodding at the door.

It was open.

That bad feeling she had before leaving the bunker multiplied tenfold, and she met Wyatt's eyes. He looked just as worried as she felt.

Pushing the door open with his foot, Wyatt kept his gun trained in front of him, ready to shoot at whatever came their way. He quickly cleared the expansive living room and they moved as one to the left, where she could see a sliver of light coming from one of the doors down the hall.

Wyatt looked back at her and touched his finger to his lips, asking her to stay silent. She nodded and tried to breathe in and out slowly, in an attempt to calm her racing heart. That was when they heard voices.

“The way I see it, you've got two choices, kid.” She felt Wyatt freeze in front of her when he heard Jessica's voice. “You can continue to be stubborn and lose your mother  _ and _ end your miserable life at 15, or you can accept your legacy and come with me.”

“Please. Just let my mom go.” Lucy heard her brother's voice for the first time and the anguish in his tone made her heart ache for him. “She has nothing to do with this. We don't want any part in it.  _ Please _ .” The boy begged, and Lucy had to close her hands in tight fists to stop herself from just barging in there.

“Wyatt,” she murmured, touching his back, but before she could say anything else, she felt something cold pressing against her back.

“Don't move.” 

A cold, male voice sounded in her ear and she felt Wyatt freeze in front of her for the second time, as she grabbed the back of his jacket tightly.

“Wyatt,” she whispered urgently, but whoever that was just pressed what felt like the cold barrel of a gun harder against her back.

“Put your gun down.” The man ordered. “Slowly.” Wyatt did as he said and stood up again. “Hands where I can see them. Both of you.”

Lucy raised her hands in the air and tried to control her fear by breathing. The man pushed her in front of him, telling her to walk. She bumped into Wyatt and grabbed his jacket again, trying to hold on to something tangible. 

“Hey, Jess. Look who I found lurking in the hallway.” The man announced, pushing Lucy and Wyatt into the room.

Lucy gasped when she saw Tyler for the first time. He was tied to a chair and there was blood dripping down the side of his face, like he had been hit with something. Her eyes quickly scanned the room and found an older woman across the room, also seemingly tied to a chair and gagged, with Jessica pointing her gun at her.

“Hey, Princess. Decided to join the party?” Jessica grinned coldly at her, and Lucy never felt as much hatred as she felt for Rittenhouse at that moment. “Your brat of a brother really takes after you in the stubbornness department.”

“Let them go, Jessica.” Lucy's voice sounded equally cold to her own ears and she tried to move in Tyler's direction, but the man held onto her arm so tightly that she was sure she was going to have a hand shaped bruise on her skin. “He's just a kid. What do you people even want with him?”

Jessica laughed.

“You see, Tyler here is the last living member of the Cahill line, other than old Ethan.” She explained pleasantly, as if talking to a child. “He needs to step up and take his place within Rittenhouse. Start his training.”

“What do you mean, he's the only living member? What about Benjamin Cahill?” Lucy questioned, but Jessica only shrugged.

“Killed himself in prison, last I heard. Good riddance.” She said distastefully. “Never liked him.” She shrugged again. “But Tyler has so much to learn. You can be great one day, Tyler. You can have the world at the tip of your fingers. Didn't your old man tell you about everything you're destined to do?”

“Please, just let my mom go.” The boy begged again, and Lucy tried to take a step in his direction again, only to be pulled back forcefully.

“He's a boy, Jess. What are you doing?” Wyatt finally spoke up, making his way to Tyler.

“Wyatt, I swear to God, don't move.” Jessica trained his gun on him and Lucy gasped. She wouldn't shoot him. Would she? “ _ Wyatt. _ ” She said again, but Wyatt moved in front of Tyler, shielding him.

“Wyatt, what are you doing?” Lucy asked incredulously. Did he really trust that his lying, not-dead-anymore wife wouldn't shoot him?

“Jess, come on.” He insisted, and Lucy felt the pressure of the gun disappear from her back, as the man aimed his gun at Wyatt. “I don't know what they did to you in this timeline, but you can't do this to a kid. You can't think this is right.”

“This is a war, Wyatt. You’re a soldier. You know how these things work. You're just fighting a losing battle for the wrong side.” She kept her gun trained on him and Wyatt shook his head, before looking at Lucy. “I see you're still hung up on the Princess, huh? Seriously, I don't even know why you bothered to try to give our marriage another chance.”

Lucy met his eyes and saw him nodding after a moment, tilting his head discreetly at the man behind her. She wasn't exactly sure what he expected her to do, but instinct took over when Wyatt quickly reached inside his jacket and told her to get down.

The man was dead before she could even comprehend what had happened.

Lucy's breathing was coming out in ragged gasps, but she shook herself from the stupor she had fallen into for a brief second and ran to Tyler's side,crouching down beside him. 

“Hey, Tyler,” she tried to smile at her little brother, but he looked at her so scared, that she just wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything would be okay. “I'm Lucy. It looks like I'm your big sister.”

“Nice to meet you.” The boy replied with a trembling voice and she laughed shakily.

“Come on, Jess. Don't make me shoot you.” Lucy heard Wyatt saying as she tried to untie her brother. “Think about the baby.” He pleaded with her and Lucy felt warring emotions fighting for dominance in her heart. Wyatt didn't deserve this. 

“God, Wyatt, there's no baby.” She spat and Lucy watched as that piece of news hit him like a ton of bricks.

“You  _ lied to me _ ?” He all but growled at Jessica, who shrugged. “Jess…”

“Wyatt, just get the hell out of the way. Believe it or not, I don't actually want to shoot you.” 

“Why would you lie about something like that?” Wyatt sounded so betrayed that Lucy yearned to reach out and touch him, comfort him somehow. “Do you really hate me that much?”

“This is so not the time to air out our dirty laundry, Wyatt. Just step away or I _ will  _ shoot.” Jessica unlocked the safety of her gun. “You have the Princess all to yourself now. Just let it go.”

Lucy tried to tune out their conversation and focus on Tyler. She had already managed to untie his legs from the chair, but he had a zip tie tying his hands behind his back.

“How are you? Did they hurt you?” She murmured and Tyler nodded, swallowing hard. “We're going to get you and your mom out of here, alright?”

“Last chance, Tyler,” Jessica called out and Lucy felt the boy freeze. “Come with us now or you can say goodbye to your momma.” 

Lucy heard the woman gasp as Jessica pressed the barrel of her gun against her temple. Tyler stood up, yelling.

“Please, just leave us alone. You can have your evil organization all to yourselves. I don't care about any of this. Let my mom go,  _ please. _ I'm begging you, please.” He sobbed and Lucy grabbed his arm to keep him from harm's way.

“Jess, let her go. Please. She's a civilian. She has nothing to do with this.” Wyatt tried to reason with her again. “I don't want to shoot you. Don't make me do this.” He also pulled the safety off and aimed at her head.

“Jesus, Wyatt. What part of this is a war did you not understand?” Jessica said exasperated and, before Lucy could comprehend what was happening, a shot rang out through the silent room, followed by a grunt from Wyatt. “Consider this a warning shot.” Jessica said coldly and pulled Tyler's mother up. “Get up. You're coming with me. Since your precious boy decided to be an uncooperative little shit, you get to come in his place until he decides to cooperate.”

“Jessica, don't do this.” Lucy called out, running towards Wyatt as the top right corner of his jacket became soaked with his blood. “Wyatt! Oh, my God.”

“Mom, no. Please!” Tyler called out desperately, but Jessica was already leaving the room.

Wyatt groaned in pain, but still ran out after her. Lucy called out after him and flinched when she heard another round of gunshots fired. Looking at Tyler, she watched as the boy stood there in shock, tears running down his cheeks. Even though he was taller than her, he still looked so young.

She tugged on his arm and made him sit back down on the chair. They were in an office of sorts, so Lucy looked around for a pair of scissors to cut Tyler free. It seemed like, now that Jessica had taken his mother, he’d gone into shock. Lucy had to call his name several times for him to finally focus on her.

“Hey, we're going to get her back, sweetie.” She touched his cheek and wiped away his tears. “I'm so sorry you got involved in this mess. So sorry. I tried to stop it.” She told him through her own tears, while cutting the zip tie behind his hands. Tyler flexed his hands with a groan and Lucy gasped at how bad his wrists were scratched.

“Lucy, you okay?” She heard Wyatt's voice behind her and nearly collapsed in relief. “I lost her.” He groaned, trying to get his jacket off. She stood up and gently pulled it off his arm, frowning at the sight of his blood soaked shirt. 

“It looks like it was through and through.” She grimaced when she saw the exit wound on his back, swallowing hard to try to fight the bile that wanted to come out.

“I need to put pressure on it.” He said through gritted teeth. “Is he okay?” 

Lucy sighed and shook her head. Bunching up his jacket, she tried to use it to put pressure on his shoulder. Wyatt groaned again and she apologized profusely. 

“I can't believe she shot me.” Wyatt grumbled under his breath. “And the baby…” he shook his head dejected, and Lucy squeezed his hand. She knew what that kind of betrayal felt like. She had gotten it from her own mother.

“I'm so sorry, Wyatt.” She shook her head, the guilt for his injury felt like it would swallow her whole. He never should have come with her.

“This is definitely not your fault, Lucy. God, you're probably the only innocent one here.” He chuckled, humorlessly. “We should go. Get him somewhere safe.” He nodded at Tyler, who seemed to be watching them curiously. “Hey, man, you okay?”

The boy nodded, looking a little green at the blood that seeped through Lucy's fingers. He swallowed hard and stood up, making his way to where Lucy was still applying pressure to Wyatt's wound.

“Tyler, this is Master Sergeant Wyatt Logan.” Lucy introduced and the boy nodded again, shaking Wyatt's hand when the soldier offered. “He's the soldier in our team.”

“How… how did you know to come here?” Tyler asked confused. “I knew you existed, but Dad said he didn't have any contact with you.”

Lucy blinked surprised. She hadn't expected him to know who she was. She had expected him to be as much in the dark as she had been when she found out Benjamin Cahill was her biological father.

“It's a long story, Ty. Can I call you Ty?” She added after a beat, but the kid nodded with a small smile. He still looked devastated, but it was good to see him smile, even if it was just a little bit. “I'll fill you in on the way. You doing okay, Wyatt?” She asked him softly, touching his cheek. He was pale and his skin felt a little clammy. “Do we need to take you to the hospital?”

“I'll be fine, Luce.” He closed his eyes at her touch and she smiled at the nickname. He had never called her that before. “It's just a flesh wound. Rufus or even Flynn can patch me up back at the bunker.” He finally opened his eyes and met her gaze, smiling himself when she saw her small one. “Let’s just get out of here. Does your head feel okay, Tyler? That's a nasty cut you've got there.”

Tyler touched his head, surprised, gasping when he saw blood on his fingers. But it only lasted half a second and he wiped his hand on his jeans.

“I'm okay. I just want to get my mom back.” He said resolutely. “I hate this Rittenhouse thing. They're all crazy. I mean, look at what happened to my dad.” He grimaced and touched his head again. It seemed that, now that he had acknowledged the wound, the pain was finally hitting him.

Lucy touched his back and nodded for him to go ahead. Turning to Wyatt, she asked him if he was okay to go.

“Lead the way, ma'am.”

Her life was complete chaos and now she had a teenage brother to look after, but Lucy still shook her head and smiled. 

He hadn't called her ma'am in weeks.


	4. iv.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you so very much for all your comments and tweets! As always, I want to thank my angel editor Lizzie.

 

**iv.**

 

“What do you mean, he was _shot_?” Lucy heard Rufus’ shocked voice and let out a sigh. “See, this is why he should've listened to me. I told him he needed backup.”

Lucy shook her head and met Tyler's eyes through the rearview mirror. The boy had climbed into the backseat with Wyatt, so he could help keeping pressure on the wound while Lucy drove them back to the bunker. Tyler looked amused at Rufus’ tone when Wyatt grumbled under his breath that he didn't need a lecture right now.

“Rufus, focus.” Lucy interrupted the pilot's rant, feeling a small smile tugging her lips up. Just listening to Rufus complaining about missions gone wrong felt like such an incredible gift. “We're five minutes out. I need you guys to come up and help me get Wyatt down there. Can you do that for me, please?”

She heard some shuffling over the phone, and then Jiya's voice came through the device.

“Hey, girl. Glad you’re okay. Flynn is getting the med bay ready. Connor and Rufus are coming up to meet you guys.”

Lucy smiled and nodded. “Thanks Jiya. Tell Rufus to breathe, okay?”

She heard Jiya chuckle and shook her head amused, even though she was indeed worried about the amount of blood Wyatt had already lost.

“Will do.” The techie replied, a light tone to her voice. “You okay, Lucy? You scared us to death, you know? I thought Wyatt was a second away from a heart attack.”

She was about to reply, when Wyatt chimed in weakly from the backseat that he was most definitely not. At that, she heard Tyler chuckling and met her brother's eyes again in the mirror in shared mirth.

“Yeah, sorry about that. It was a good thing I insisted on going, though. We have a lot to talk about.” She explained quickly, focusing back on the road.

“Alright, we're waiting for you.” Jiya agreed and they hung up.

Lucy checked the rearview mirror again to check on both Tyler and Wyatt and saw that her soldier had his eyes closed. He still looked pale, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped, so she hoped that meant the worst part was over.

She could feel Tyler's eyes on her, watching her curiously, and she offered a small smile in his direction. He hadn't said much since they'd gotten in the car, only that he'd be okay keeping pressure on Wyatt's wound. She knew he was probably feeling so incredibly overwhelmed and that, if he was anything like her at all, he was probably trying to compartmentalize and focus on what was urgent.

A couple of minutes later, she pulled up to the side of the road and saw Rufus and Connor running up to them. Tyler looked at her with wide eyes.

“That's Connor Mason!” He exclaimed, surprised, and she chuckled. “What the hell is he doing here? I thought he went bankrupt or something.”

“God, don't let him hear you say that.” Wyatt groaned, trying to sit up straighter. “Thanks, man. I think it's finally stopped bleeding.”

Tyler nodded and looked back at Connor, in what seemed like awe. Lucy shook her head and looked at Wyatt, trying to assess how he was doing. He still seemed to be in pain, but at least he was conscious and talking, so that eased her mind and heart. She would've never forgiven herself if something had happened to him.

As it was, she already wanted to hunt Jessica down to the ends of the Earth and make her pay for everything she had done to the people she loved. Wyatt, Jiya, Rufus and now Tyler? Lucy vowed to herself she would not rest until she stopped her and Emma -- Wyatt's wife or not.

“Hey, man,” Rufus’ voice startled her out of her thoughts and she saw her friend already helping Wyatt out of the car. “Not going to say I told you so when you're already down, but I really want to.” He teased and Wyatt chuckled.

Lucy stepped out of the car and locked it behind her, once Tyler had gotten out as well. The boy stuck to her side, seemingly intimidated now that there were new people around, and she reached out and touched his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Once they were finally back in the bunker, Rufus helped Wyatt to the med bay and Lucy took Tyler to their common room, where Jiya was waiting. As soon as the techie saw Lucy, she quickly made her way to her and pulled her into a tight hug.

“You scared the hell out of us.” Jiya whispered and Lucy apologized quietly. “I'm so glad you're okay.”

“I just had to do something. I had a bad feeling about all this.” She ran a hand through her hair and sat down, nodding at Tyler to do the same. “It was so much worse than we thought, Jiya.”

“Good thing you went with your gut then. Just please try not to give us a heart attack next time.” Jiya joked and Lucy laughed, nodding. “And you must be Tyler.” She turned to the boy and offered a friendly smile. “Jiya Marri.” She introduced herself, offering her hand for him to shake.

Tyler smiled and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, ma'am.” He said politely and Lucy couldn't help but smile. It looked like he had been raised well.

“Jiya is one of our engineers, Tyler.” Lucy explained. “She also pilots the Lifeboat. Our time machine.” She added slowly, watching almost amused as his eyes widened in shock.

“Your _what_?”

 

* * *

 

 

The pain spreading out from his shoulder made Wyatt grit his teeth tightly. Flynn had cleaned it quickly and efficiently, but it still hurt like hell. He was yet to make any comments, and Wyatt was infinitely glad that he was keeping his mouth shut for now. The last thing he needed right now was Flynn baiting him into a fight. He just didn’t have the energy for it.

He knew Agent Christopher would have his head tomorrow, and probably want to bring in a doctor to assess his injury. He didn’t think anything was broken -- it most definitely wasn’t his first rodeo with a gunshot wound to the shoulder -- but at this point, he knew his boss and knew she would eat him alive for going after Lucy without backup.

It didn’t matter, though. He would gladly do it all over again if he had to. What mattered now was that Lucy was safe, and so was her brother. Poor kid. Even though he was still annoyed that she thought she had to sneak out of the bunker without telling anyone, it was a good thing she had. If she hadn’t, maybe they would’ve only heard about their deaths in the news and he knew that would’ve destroyed her. He hadn’t known Tyler for long, but Wyatt could already see the similarities between him and Lucy. He wouldn’t have given in to Jessica’s demands. Even at such a young age, it looked like the kid had his moral compass pointing in the right direction.

Just as Flynn was taping up a bandage to cover the stitched up wound, Wyatt saw Lucy and Tyler entering the room. He watched as the former NSA agent let out of a sigh of relief at the sight of her, and he couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy in his heart. He knew he had no right to feel that, not after what he’d done to her, but he couldn’t help it. He loved her so much and he still had no idea how to fix everything between them. His future self had been very tight lipped about their relationship, only saying that time would help fix things. That he should just keep on loving her and protecting her and that, eventually, things would get back on track.

That didn’t help him much, but at least it was comforting to know that their future selves were doing alright and were together in every sense of the word. Looking at Lucy again, he smiled when he caught her watching him with concerned eyes.

“Okay there?” She asked gently, approaching the bed, and he tried to sit up. “Hey, easy. Easy, Wyatt.” Her hands immediately supported him and he grit his teeth to keep from groaning in pain. He really needed to get his hands on some pain killers.

“I’m fine, Luce.” He told her, a warm feeling in his chest as she smiled at the shortened version of her name. He hadn’t used it before tonight, but he filed it away as something that made her smile. “It was just a scratch.” He grinned at her and she rolled her eyes.

“It definitely wasn't just a scratch. Don't say that.” She touched his arm gently. “Ty here needs to get his head checked out. Do you think he needs stitches?” She turned to Flynn, and Wyatt motioned for Tyler to take a seat next to him. “This is Garcia Flynn, Ty.”

“Are you a doctor?” The boy asked, sitting down on the bed. He was at that gangly stage and Wyatt was sure he would end up being taller than him.

Flynn laughed and shook his head, changing his bloodied gloves for new ones. “No, not really. We're all trained in first aid, though.” He approached Tyler and pushed his hair away to look at the cut. “It doesn't look too bad. What happened here?” He asked and Wyatt watched as Tyler grimaced when Flynn cleaned the cut with peroxide.

“That woman hit me with her gun, I think. I don't know, it happened really fast.” He said through gritted teeth 

“What happened there, Ty? How did she get in?” Lucy asked him, leaning against the bed between Wyatt and Tyler. “We only saw footage from a security camera that they were knocking on your door earlier today.”

“I don't really know how they got in. I was at school and I had practice until 5 today.” Tyler explained, grimacing again when Flynn started stitching him up. “When I got home, the door was open and that guy jumped me from behind. I only saw that woman coming at me and then I woke up tied to a chair.”

“Did she do anything else to you? To your mom?” Wyatt asked him quietly when he seemed to be lost in thought.

Tyler shook his head. “She tried to convince me to come with her yesterday, but I shot her down. I was coming home from Sarah's and she was waiting for me in front of the house.”

“Who's Sarah?” Lucy asked curiously and Wyatt grinned when the boy blushed.

“She's… I guess she's sort of my girlfriend. It's nothing official, but we've been hanging out.” He admitted shyly and Lucy shared a knowing smile with Wyatt. “I need to text her. We were supposed to go to the movies tonight and I ended up forgetting with all this.”

Lucy smiled and brushed his hair away to look at Flynn's handy work.

“Let Jiya take care of your phone. When she gives us the go ahead, you can text her.” She reassured him and he nodded, relieved. “You just can't tell her what happened, alright? No one can know where you are.”

He nodded again and jumped off the bed, when Flynn told him he was all set and excused himself to leave.

“Thanks, Lucy. Thanks for coming tonight.” The boy said and enveloped Lucy in a tight hug.

Wyatt saw the surprised look on her face, before she wrapped her arms around the boy and hugged him back. He could see she was touched by his gratitude and nodded at her when their eyes met. After a moment, Tyler pulled away and Lucy took his hand in hers.

“You're very welcome. I just wish I could've met my little brother under different circumstances.” She offered the kid a small, bashful smile and Wyatt couldn't help but smile at their interaction. “Now come on. Do you want to take a shower or something? Get cleaned up?”

“Yeah, that'd be great. I just didn't bring anything with me, though.”

“I can get you some clothes, Tyler.” Wyatt offered, trying to put the sling over his head unsuccessfully. Lucy came to his rescue and adjusted it for him. “Thanks, Lucy.” He touched her hand and she offered him a grateful smile. “Come on, kiddo.” He nudged the boy and chuckled when Tyler rolled his eyes at the nickname.

“You boys go sort this out. I'll go check what we have for dinner.” Lucy announced and touched Wyatt's arm again, squeezing it gently.

He nodded at her and watched her go, smiling to himself. They hadn't touched this much in what felt like months. It almost felt like they were back to normal.

 

* * *

 

The clanking sounds around the bunker pulled her out of a deep sleep. Lucy stretched and groaned at the dull ache on her back. They may have moved to a new secret military bunker, but the couches still sucked. 

She had insisted on Tyler taking her bed, regardless of the boy's protests. Wyatt had also offered to take the couch, so she could have a good night of sleep, but she reminded him of the gunshot wound in his shoulder and immediately shot his offer down.

So here she was. She would have to talk to Denise about getting an extra cot, or even an inflatable mattress or something. Anything was better than this godforsaken couch.

Sitting up, she stretched her arms high above her head and felt her joints pop pleasantly. She should probably be exercising more, she thought to herself as she got up. Even though they were constantly running for their lives during their missions, that hardly counted as actually working out. And after having her ass handed to her by Emma, she figured she had to at least get more in shape for the event of a next time she found herself face to face with the new Rittenhouse leader. And she be damned if she was going to let Emma nearly beat her to death again.

Maybe Wyatt could help her with that. Or even Flynn. She was sure either of them would help her, but she also knew Wyatt would be terribly annoyed -- not to mention jealous -- if she asked Flynn first.

Making her way to the kitchen, she decided she would ask the soldier later on today. The coffee maker was already on and there seemed to be a fresh pot waiting for her, if the smell was anything to go by. Checking her phone, she realized it was still way too early, so that coffee belonged to either Jiya or Wyatt. No one else in this bunker woke up before 6am. No one else was plagued by memories they'd rather forget.

While Jiya didn't have the same horribly painful memories of Rufus’ death, she still had to deal with acclimating herself on living in the bunker again, after spending three years of her life in the nineteenth century. Lucy knew that her friend was having a hard time adjusting and the knowledge that Rufus’ had died despite her trying desperately to stop it really did a number on her.

This time, though, the computer area was empty, as was most of their common room. The kitchen, however, had one lone occupant, his back turned to her as he picked up his toast when they popped up.

Smiling when she saw him yelp and bring his finger to his lips, she decided it was time to announce her presence.

“Morning,” she said quietly and chuckled when he turned around startled. His wide eyes immediately softened when he realized it was her. “How are you feeling?” She sidled up to him and picked up his plate, bringing it to the table.

“I'm fine.” He smiled and followed her, bringing his coffee mug with him, holding it with his good hand.  “Thanks, Lucy.” He croaked, his voice still laced with sleep.

The tone immediately brought back memories of that one morning they had spent between satin sheets in 1941, and Lucy had to close her eyes and take a deep breath. Now was definitely not the time to think about that, and she was most definitely not ready to deal with whatever their relationship was.

“What are you doing up so early?” She asked, making her way back to the counter to pour herself some coffee. “It's barely six.”

He shrugged, but seemed to immediately regret that action if the painful look on his face was any indication.

“Couldn't sleep.” He said with a grimace. “Can't sleep much these days, to be honest.” He added with a wry smile, and she nodded in understanding.

“I know.” She told him sympathetically, taking a seat across from him at the table. “I can hear you in the gym every morning.” She elaborated when he looked at her questioningly. “Haven't been able to sleep much either.” She confessed and he nodded, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Do you think it'll ever feel normal again?” he wondered after a couple of minutes. Lucy met his eyes and found such a deep sadness reflected there, that it made her want to reach out to him in comfort.

“I don't know.” Lucy shrugged, finger tracing the border of her mug thoughtfully. “I wish I could forget. So much.” She swallowed hard, feeling the ever present knot in her throat tighten. But she refused to cry.

There was so much she wished she could erase from her mind. Her friend getting shot to death. Watching her mother die. Watching the man she loved trying to make things work with his undead wife. Hearing him say she was pregnant.

God, the truth about the baby must have hit him so hard, she thought to herself. He had fought so hard for that baby and now, knowing it had been all a lie must have cut him pretty deep.

Was it bad that part of her was relieved? It probably was, but she couldn't help it. If Jessica had really been pregnant, this whole thing would have been a nightmare with her fighting against them.

“I can't forget. I can't get that image out of my head.” He admitted. “I promised I would protect him and I didn't. I promised I would protect _you_ and I didn't. And I'm _so_ sorry, Lucy. I'm so sorry.”

This time, her body reacted before she could even second guess herself. Covering his hand with hers, she squeezed it comfortingly.

“Wyatt, look at me.” She encouraged and waited until his eyes met hers. “Rufus was not on you. Please don't ever think that.” She brushed her thumb over his skin and he looked down at their joined hands. “And you did protect me. You _do_ protect me. Last night was proof of that.” she said with conviction, and he looked at her again. “I've just realized I never thanked you for going with me to get Tyler. Thank you. You saved our lives.”

“I'd do anything to protect you, Luce.” he promised her, turning his hand up so their palms could meet. “I'd do anything for you.” He caught her gaze again and he seemed to be so earnest that she couldn't help it when the corners of her lips ticked up.

“I know.” She breathed, squeezing his hand, feeling a calming warmth wash over her when he laced their fingers together. “And that goes both ways.”

“I meant what I said the other night.” He went on and Lucy sucked in a surprised breath. “I stand by what I said. You don't have to say anything, Luce. I just need you to know where I stand. And I won't let anything happen to you. I will never let what happened to Rufus happen again. To either of you. Or Tyler. I promise you that.” He assured her.

“Wyatt…” She started, still not sure how to even begin to respond to this. But before she could formulate a single thought, the sound of the door unlocking made her look towards the exit.

Agent Christopher walked determinedly to them and Lucy knew she was done for.

It was time to face the music.

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews are love.


End file.
